


I have a red Robin

by LolaIbz



Series: The love life of a fearsome Dragon and a daring Doe [4]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Eating Disorders, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 17:24:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17228201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LolaIbz/pseuds/LolaIbz
Summary: Emily Charlton has always been a formidable and independent woman with very little patience, an exceptional worker and faithful fashion follower. Except that these things never really added up to help her deal with her multiple insecurities.When her life comes crashing down around her, for the first time ever she doubts she can find a way out from her own chaos...This story is set three years after my other fanfic One more time, so it'll be slow to update.





	I have a red Robin

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this is a little something I've been wanting to try for a while. I'm still not sure where it'll take me since I havent's thought it through entirely so comments and suggestions are welcome.  
> I'd also like to remind you that I'm not a native English speaker so forgive any mistakes.  
> Enjoy and comment.

Emily Charlton, head of the Art Department at Runway Fashion Magazine, strode briskly through the streets of New York. The chilly autumn hair threatened with disheveling her carefully poised crimson mane. She turned the corner and quickened her pace, almost sprinting the last meters to the building. 

There were so many things to do and she was already late, even when she arrived forty five minutes earlier. Miranda wanted a spread on Valentino's winter preview, she needed to go through the Prada cocktail gowns and prepare the mock up for this edition's special.

-"Simpleton glam or whatever it's called" - the art director scoffed mentally -

She also had to change the entire pallete from the Kors photo shoot and, oh God, why did it have to be Helmut Lang coats?! They were hideous!

Punching the buttom for the levator, she tapped her foot impatiently on the polished linoleum. The damned thing seemed to take ever more time. Finally, the elevator pinged and as soon as the doors slid open Emily walked in.

-"Wait, please!" - the red-head heard the desperate plea and recognized her assistant. Holding the doors open with one hand, she beckoned with the head for her to come in - "Thank you. I-I'm sorry I'm late, the baristas had their hands full and I didn't think..."

-"Ugh, you're not late, Anna. Calm down" - Emily interrupted - "In fact, why are you here so early? You shouldn't be arriving in like... half an hour"

-"I, umh, yeah... yesterday you said there was a lot to do and you'd be coming earlier so I thought I could, you know, arrive earlier and help you up" - Anna eyed her boss warily -

-"Well, I won't object when someone's trying to make themselves useful" - Emily looked impatiently at the display - "Ugh, could this go any slower?"

-"I brought you coffee" - Anna offered shyly - "And a blueberry muffin. Since we'll be here for a long while I thought you could make use of some extra energy" - Emily arched her eyebrow - "If you want" - she sighed -

-"Thank you, Anna" - the red-head bit back a smile. The silly girl was so much like Andrea: ever willing to help, not afraid of hard work and always kind and thoughtful. But she was certainly a lot less noisy, she knew exactly when to quit her rambbling. Emily was very pleased with her assistant.

Over the last two years, Anna had proven to be an actually helpful hand for the art director. She had already earned her stripes as Miranda's second assistant for two years, which was more than most assistans could say. And now, she had navigated her way into the art director's good graces.

The first year as head of the Art Department had been very taxing for Emily. She had worked herself to exhaustion and more than once, to a near surmenage. So, basically, Miranda imposed Anna on Emily. Not the the fashion editor had dubted or repented of her choice, Emily had taste and talent (she had proven so in more than one ocassion). But the Brit's obssessive working ethics took it's toll. Emily had bags under her eyes, foundation could no longer cover the dark circles and she was unhealthily underweight (which brought back certain fogotten ghosts).

-"You either take her or step down. I don't want a living-dead mop for an art director" - Miranda had deadpanned and then, there went Anna to the Art Department.

The elevator pinged again signaling their arrival at the seventeenth floor. Emily's office was only a bit smaller than Miranda's but there was no outter hall for her assistant. Anna's working station was within what'd be considered Em's office but separated and delimited by a wall, decorated smartly with a wallpaper with a patter of pastel arabesque on it. The space was luminous and the minimalistic style made it seem larger. It was pleasant and cozy without giving up sophistication.

-"Ok, I'll prepare the winter preview for Valentino that Miranda wanted. Anna, pick some Prada gowns, whichever you deem suitable for a cocktail party and bring'em to me" -Anna stalled and her eyes widened in a very deer-like fashion - "Tell Ashton that if I see a hue akin to bubblegum pink for this season, I'll personally hurl him down the elevator hole. Tell him to do something with ecru, taupe, blue-gray. Tell him to be creative for God's sake!"

-"Uh, excuse me but you said you want ME to pick the gowns?" - the assistant asked nervously - 

Emily rolled her eyes and sighed.

-"Yes, Anna" - she drawled her name in a way that had YOU SILLY written all over - " You studied fine arts, you have a degree, you've been with me for long enough to know what's acceptable and what people shouldn't be caught dead in. I believe somewhere within that head of yours these things must have made you developpe a taste, musn't they?" - she queried arching a brow -

-"Y-yes! Thank you. It's an honour I'll... I-umh" - she trailed off at Emily's annoyed stare - "I'll just go do that" - she smiled apologetically and scurried towards the elevator again -

Emily watched her go and discovered that Anna hopped lightly in her sprint. A small smile crept up her lips.

-"She looks like a little bunny. How cute" - she nibbled her very expensive pen, a gift from Miranda for her first year as art director. She frown suddenly trying to remember - "Now, where's that bloody envelope?"

An hour and a half later, Anna returned breathless to the office, laden with hangers, bags and envelopes. Her nose slightly reddish.

-"Oh, dang it. I forgot my coffee" - setting everything in place for the director's later perusal, she scooped up the thermo mug and peeked behind the dividing wall - "I'm going to warm my coffee, do you need something from the kitchenette?"

Emily didn't look up from the papers spread all across her desk but growled a negative response before Anna walked out. The red-head sighed deeply.

-"This is abyssmal. Really, could this be any worse?" - she was rolling her neck, trying to relief some of the tension when her cell phone sounded off loudly - "Ugh, what now?" - she picked it up and answered briskly, almost annoyedly - "Charlton"

-"Good morning, Miss Charlton. Well, I guess it's morning there" - the thick accent filtered through the phone - "My name is Emil White, I'm a technician at Peckham's morgue"

Emily gulped.

-"A-a pleasure. What's the point of this call, Mister White?" - she inhaled calmly. She saw it coming, it was a matter of time - "I'm busy right now" - the last part came out more affected than intended -

-"Of course, my apologies. I'm calling to know what you have decided"

His question was met with unwavering silence.

-"Miss Charlton?" - he tried again -

-"What I've decided about what? Whatever are you talking about?" - the red-head was starting to lose her cool -

-"Uh, well, your mother's body's been here for three days now. We wanted to know whether we should send her to the crematory or prepare her for funeral. No one specified anything and yours is the only contact we have. The woman who came to identify the body left no further information. I'm afraid that if no one takes responsibility and affords the debts accrued, we'll have to put her in a common grave at Peckham's Cementery"

Emily's brows shot up in her face, she was sure they couldn't possibly go any higher. This had to be a joke (a very distasteful one).

-"I'm sorry but you said my mother died... three days ago?"


End file.
